Review of Laura Geller Makeup: What Should I Buy and What Should I Not?
Fast forward seven years later, and I'm just now getting into her products. The thing I do like about her brand is that it's pretty affordable while using high-quality ingredients. She is all about using safe products for sensitive skin, which is something I appreciate when it comes to makeup.
Laura Geller's line of makeup has been around a pretty long time - 1997, exactly. She has built a beauty empire of sorts, and you can find her products in discount stores all over the country, as well as on QVC.
Maybe because the line has been around for so long, but her customer base appears to be largely comprised of older women with mature skin. That being said, I have seen a few TikTok videos pop up on my feed of younger-looking women using the line. Obviously, you don't have to be any specific age to use Laura Geller's line of makeup! If we were to categorize the customer base at all, I would recommend this brand for folks with sensitive, easily irritated skin-regardless of age.
The most popular product she carries is the Baked Balance-N-Brighten Foundation. This Laura Geller makeup review includes a ton of her products that I have purchased. Below, you'll find out about the products I loved and the ones that didn't exactly blow me away.
Laura Geller Makeup Ingredients
A great deal of the baked products in the Laura Geller makeup line contain the normal ingredients you might find in any other powder products. You can assume that you will find such ingredients as mica, talc, dimethicone, centella asiatica extract, jojoba seed oil, titanium dioxide, iron oxides, and many more. It's worth mentioning that Laura Geller makeup is not really considered a "clean" line according to EWG Skin Deep. That will not deter me from using this line of makeup.
QUICK LINKS—Looking for some Laura Geller Kits & Palettes to make your pick easier? Here are the ones I would recommend, based on the products that I've tested from the brand!
The Best Makeup for Laura Geller
Laura Geller Baked Balance-N-Brighten Color Correcting Foundation
This is probably Laura Geller's most popular makeup product. The Baked Balance-N-Brighten Color Correcting Foundation works to hide imperfections and offer a natural foundation look-e.g., not full coverage. This product offers light-to-medium coverage, and with each layer, it is buildable-in that respect, much like the Magic Minerals Airbrush Foundation.
This feels nice on the skin, and I also like that it's really lightweight and offers light coverage. I'm not a fan of a real heavily-covered foundation, so this pick really fits the bill for me. I also like that it's in a pressed formula, which makes it easier to apply than my beloved Alima Pure Foundation that is in loose powder form.
Another thing I liked about this pick is that it didn't seem to settle into my fine lines and wrinkles-which, admittedly, are pretty minimal since I'm only 31. Sometimes I feel like my fine lines and acne scars really show through when I wear liquid foundation. I liked that this formula didn't have the drying sensation on my skin when applied.
The formula actually wore really well on my skin all day. I tried it once with just my moisturizer underneath and once with the Spackle Primer that came in the kit. Both times, the foundation lasted all day.
The hues are the main problem I have with this foundation.
When buying the kit, I had done some reading to see what people were saying about the shades. Many people mentioned that, for your shade, it was recommended to go one shade lighter than what you would normally choose because the shades seem to come out a bit darker when applied to the skin.
For that reason, I chose the shade "Fair" instead of using the "Light" shade that I normally would use. What is wild is that almost I wished I'd picked one two shades lighter than what I thought I would be! I feel the shade "Porcelain" would have matched my skin tone a bit more than "Fair." While this foundation was worn on my skin, my fiancé said I "looked tan," which to me, means my foundation shade didn't match the rest of my body. That being said, when I get a bit of a real tan this summer, the "Fair" foundation will match my skin a bit better.
I'd say to go one or two shades lighter than you think you might be in this foundation, as the brown colors in the baked formula make this foundation a bit darker.
It's also packed with propylene glycol, which is a synthetic alcohol that conditions the skin. The catch: It might be irritating to sensitive or dry skin. Available at Laura Geller Beauty ($22)
Laura Geller Jelly Balm Hydrating Lip Colour
Ah, okay, so I'm obsessed with these jelly balms! I think they are so underrated, and they are probably my favorite Laura Geller product from the lot. So I have the shades "Figger Than Life" and "In The Buff". Both of these look amazing on my skin tone, and I love the fact that this formula is more balm-oriented rather than a lipstick. That said, don't discount how much color these balms are capable of depositing-they apply just the right amount of color to my lips. I love that they don't feel heavy, and I super love that they aren't matte, either. I hate matte lipsticks, and I urge people to go for the more hydrating formulas rather than drying, matte formulas. This lip color comes in eight shades, and I'll probably add more to my collection soon because I love them so much.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty ($11)
Laura Geller The Best of The Best Baked Full Face Basics
I mean, most of the things on this face palette, I really like, but seriously, those three eye shadows have me OBSESSED. I do a night out and use them many times, and oh my gosh, the way they make my eyes pop. I just wish those three eye shadows could come in their own kit so I could take them with me wherever I go. "Pink Buttercream" Blush and "Portofino Highlighter" are some of the other products I like in this kit. The "Tahitian Glow Baked Body Frosting" is nice, but I wouldn't use it together with the blush and the highlighter because that's gonna be way too much shimmer. I don't like the "French Vanilla Highlighter.".
Available at Laura Geller Beauty,
Laura Geller Baked Blush-N-Brighten Marbleized Blush
So, I have this blush in four different shades. For a powder blush, I think these are really nice. I typically prefer cream blush, but I like using this option when I'm in the mood for a powder finish. This pick comes in a bunch of different shades and also comes in a few different finishes-natural, matte, and satin.
I have the following four shades: "Pink Buttercream" in a natural finish, "Pink Grapefruit" in a satin finish, "Tropic Hues" in a satin finish, and "Tropical Peach" in a matte finish. Naturally, I prefer natural and satin finishes over matte, so I will say that "Tropical Peach" is not my favorite. The satin finish blushes have a little more iridescence to them than the ones in the natural finish. I like to apply the satin finish blushes onto the apples of my cheeks without adding any highlighter since I feel that's too much shimmer for me if I use both. I'd say "Pink Buttercream" and "Tropic Hues" are my favorite blush shades from the ones I've tried.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Quench-n-Tint Hydrating Foundation
Is this my favorite foundation in the world? No, but it's definitely my favorite amongst the Laura Geller foundations. I, personally, always go for a sheer coverage foundation and then I use a concealer on top of the foundation to hide my imperfections and blemishes. This is a nice formula that blends into my skin pretty well and the color match is pretty perfect-I am shade "Light". I like that it's hydrating and doesn't irritate my skin, either. I definitely think this is one of the more underrated Laura Geller products, and I highly recommend this one!
Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Serum Blush Cheek Tint
So, the brand sent me these Cheek Tints a while back for editorial consideration in the various media outlets I write for. At first, I didn't really love them, but the more I use them, the more they grow on me. My biggest issue with these Cheek Tints is that originally, coverage was so sheer. This was similar to pulling out some of the colors onto my cheeks-you could hardly see the color, and the color wouldn't last very long during the day, either. I have decided to try out some of the darker shades, and I am happy to report that I like them a lot.
I only use this on my cheeks, then softly and subtly blend it with my fingers. I think they're perfect to use with a cream highlighter. The formula of this blush is definitely more liquidy than creamy. It doesn't contain any sort of shimmer or iridescence, but it's definitely not matte either. I'd say it gives a natural-looking finish.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Modern Classic Cream Lipstick
I have tried three shades of the Modern Classic Cream Lipsticks, of which I love one and somewhat dislike the other two. The product comes in six shades, and I think the formula lives up to its name. It is relatively creamy, but it is less hydrating than the Jelly Balms. And it is neither matte nor drying, so plus points for that. I have shades "Mauve Majesty," "Berry Bliss," and "Divine." The "Mauve Majesty" shade is a little too brown for my taste, but I think it may flatter a different skin tone than mine. To me, the shade "Divine" feels way too grandma-esque on my skin tone. "Berry Bliss," however, is gorgeous, and I love it. The color is more like a deep hot pink that really complements my skin tone. I highly recommend it for those who want a pop of color.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Sculpt-n-Stay Waterproof Brow Pencil & Gel
Not a single complaint about this pick here. I have the shade "Dark Brown," and I feel like it matches my brows pretty well. Hard to say if it's "waterproof," but I've worn it trekking around hot, humid NYC in midsummer, and it didn't budge, so I'd say that's a good sign. It has an angled tip. The liner strokes really, really simulate the hairs in your brows.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Italian Marble Lipstick
I love the whole idea of an Italian Marble Lipstick; it's just the execution that's a little fiddly. Yes, lipsticks do look cool in the packaging since they're marbleized, but working out what the shade actually is does make it that much more difficult. The same is true of all Laura Geller's marbleized products. I've tried three of the Italian Marble Lipstick shades thus far: "Strawberry Toffee," "Honey Bun," and "Al Fresco." I really love the "Strawberry Toffee" shade-it's really reminiscent of a Revlon Super Lustrous Lipstick that I used to wear a lot called "Blushed." It's just a soft pink with a slight, pearly shimmer. The other two shades I tried, which were "Honey Balm" and "Al Fresco," were awful.
"Al Fresco" is a surprise wash-out on me, sort of a light purple. I usually love purple-toned lipsticks-they are really complimentary. But not this one. "Honey Bun" is gross, pale pink and makes me look ill. Didn't like either one. I think that some folks might find “Al Fresco” to be flattering on them, but I’d be surprised to find anyone who loves “Honey Bun.”
Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Bravo Brows Soft Pencil + Brush
This is just another brow pencil, which I have absolutely no complaints about. This formula is a bit softer, and I think it goes on easier to your eyebrow compared with the Sculpt-n-Stay Waterproof Brow Pencil & Gel. On the other hand, strokes of this pencil are not going to be as precise as the strokes you get from Sculpt-n-Stay Waterproof Brow Pencil & Gel. That said, they're fairly comparable to me, and I think you'd be hard-pressed to choose wrongly either way.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller INKcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil
When I ordered this eyeliner for the first time, I got "Brown Eyed Girl" and just was totally horrified at how badly that formula was made. What I mean by that is that the "shimmer" in the formula simply looked terrible, unnatural, and isn't something that I would ever apply to my eyelids. The base color was actually just deep chocolate brown, but the shimmer specks in the formula were more of a silver shade. They just didn't look good to me; that particular shade of shimmery speck seemed really dated, not at all advanced.
Fast forward to when I ordered another shade "Brown Sugar" and loved it! I think this is a great gel eyeliner formula, and I love that it truly lasts all day without major smudging. For a more precise liner look, I would go with the INKcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil over the Kajal Longwear Eyeliner. If I was going to order the INKcredible Waterproof Gel Eyeliner Pencil, I would avoid any of the shimmery shades.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty .
Laura Geller Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer: Hydrate
I just literally was so impressed with this primer. One, it hydrates your skin really nicely, but keeps your makeup on all day. I love how it contains a ton of moisturizing ingredients like glycerin, jojoba seed oil, sunflower seed oil, and many more. Also, worth noting is that the ingredient listing on the bottle I got was way different from the ingredient listing on Laura Geller's website. I'm not totally sure what that's about; I didn't notice this product causes breakouts, but it does contain shea butter, which may be cloggy for some. I also really love that it's such a large bottle-you don't typically see a primer this big in size. I would recommend this primer to one and all who have dry skin or sensitive and are in need of some more moisture before makeup.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty
I just love this brush! It's just perfect for applying the foundation whereby you can determine how much the foundation coverage you want by just how much you retract the brush. For instance, if you would want a light coverage of the foundation, you would retract it all the way down so that the bristles are more fluffy. Pull the brush back just a little if you want fuller coverage. The bristles will be stiffer that way and will pick up more product. I find this brush to be very soft. I could see using it for a number of different products. However, I probably wouldn't use this on any liquid formulas, and I don't feel the bristles are firm enough.
Available at Laura Geller Beauty,
Laura Geller Products that didn't cut it
Laura Geller Serum Bronzing Cheek Lift
As I said above, I love the formula of these Laura Geller serum tints, but I think that the shades are off for the Bronzing Cheek Lift. I tried the shade "Soft Sunshine" and it was too orangey for me. Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller The Perfect Fix Concealer
Again, these shades are just a little off. I really couldn't even dive into the formula because I just couldn't find a shade match for me. So, I have tried both "Light" and "Medium." The "Light" shade is far too light for my skin. The "Medium" was way too yellow for my skin tone. Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Baked Natural Glow Highlighter in French Vanilla
This highlighter came with a set that I purchased from Laura Geller a while back. I don't like it, and I never wear it. It is too white-it doesn't give any type of glow to your skin in my opinion. Laura needs to work on her highlighter selection in her line; it's lacking. Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Italian Marble Blush Stick and Marble Bronzer Stick
These disappointed me so much. I wanted to love them. I think they're a cream formula, which is weird because they're not really all that creamy, and they're definitely hard to blend. I picked up the Italian Marble Blush Sticks in "Dolce Vino" and "Apricot Spritz", and also the Marble Bronzer Stick in "D'oro Glow." I do love the color of "Apricot Spritz," but it doesn't blend on my skin, so I don't wear it a lot.
I just didn't like the shade "Dolce Vino." I thought "D'oro Glow" was too orangey for me. If you're in search of a fabulous cream blush, bronzer, and highlighter trio, check out these Ogee makeup sticks. Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Laura Geller Double Take Liquid Foundation
I ordered the "Medium" shade in this foundation because all of the lighter shades were sold out. Unsurprisingly, the "Medium" is too dark for me-I'm typically a light shade. I was going to try and order the "Light" shade, but then I realized that I don't really like this formula, so I just chose to skip testing it out.
I find this formula just too heavy, too full-coverage. I much prefer the Quench-n-Tint Hydrating Foundation over this one. Available at Laura Geller Beauty
Is Laura Geller Makeup Good?
Yes, I believe Laura Geller makeup is good. That said, some products are better than others. And I went into depth above about which ones I think are worth buying and which ones aren't.
Laura Geller has been around for a while in the beauty industry. I really think she knows her shit. And I think the Laura Geller brand is geared more towards people with mature skin. But that's not going to stop me from using the products I bought regularly.
Where To Buy Laura Geller Makeup
You can buy Laura Geller products on her website Laura Geller Beauty!
Laura Geller Makeup Tutorial
Here's a quick Laura Geller makeup tutorial using the products I got in my Cult Classics Full Face Kit.
Step 1 - Apply Laura Geller Spackle Skin Perfecting Primer: Hydrate
Pump some of the primer onto your fingers and blend it into your face. I like to let it sit for a minute or two to soak into my skin before applying the foundation.
Step 2 – Buff Laura Geller Baked Balance-N-Brighten Color Correcting Foundation into skin
Use the retractable kabuki brush to blend the product into your skin. You can apply the product with as light, medium, or heavier coverage, depending on how much you retract the brush. I like to swirl the brush around on the foundation and buff it into my skin.
Step 3 – Apply Laura Geller Baked Natural Glow Highlighter in French Vanilla to cheekbones.
Then, I like to apply the highlighter on top of my cheekbones. The reason I like to add the highlighter before the blush is that I want the highlight to give a lit-from-within kind of glow. You can also add this on your brow bone, on the inside corner of your eyes, and even on the tip of your nose.
Step 4 - Add Laura Geller Baked Blush-N-Brighten Marbleized Blush on apples of cheeks.
After highlighting, you can apply a light layer of this blush on your cheek apples. Be cautious with this blush as it is super pigmented. A little goes a long way.
Step 5 - Apply Laura Geller Modern Classic Lipstick in Divine to the lips
Finally, apply the lipstick! I like finishing everything off with brow gel and mascara.
FAQs About Laura Geller Makeup
Is Laura Geller makeup toxic?
While there are, no doubt, a great amount of questionable ingredients in Laura Geller makeup, calling the brand toxic may well be a stretch-toxic to humans, at any rate. In all fairness, it would be more accurate to say that Laura Geller is toxic to wildlife and the environment, as it contains the ingredient ethylhexyl methoxycinnamate. There are also synthetic ingredients such as the preservative phenoxyethanol and the colorant chromium oxide green.
Does Laura Geller makeup contain SPF?
Most Laura Geller makeup doesn't have SPF, like her lipsticks and Brighten foundation. There is only one protection against the harms of UV rays from Laura Geller: the Better than Bare Tinted Moisturizer with SPF 50+. Think of it as a very, very lightweight Laura Geller foundation.
Does Laura Geller test on animals?
On Laura Geller Beauty's Customer Service page, it says that the brand does not test on animals. I wouldn't go so far as to say the makeup is cruelty-free since they do admit some of their "products may contain animal by-products." If concerned about a particular product, I'd recommend reaching out to the brand directly and asking if it's cruelty-free.
Is Laura Geller hypoallergenic makeup?
Just as some Laura Geller products contain SPF and others do not, so, too, are some products hypoallergenic and others not so much. The baked foundation in particular is great for sensitive skin, reported KTTV of Colorado.
Does Laura Geller makeup products contain parabens?
In case you don't know, parabens are preservatives used in cosmetics-meaning they make your products last longer. According to the Laura Geller Beauty Customer Service page, most of the brand's products are paraben-free. But not all. You can find out which ones and which don't on the individual product pages.
Does Laura Geller makeup contain talc?
While most Laura Geller products do not contain parabens, they are not entirely talc-free. In fact, due to the fact that many of these cosmetics come in powder form, you're likely to find talc in those formulas.
I Hope you enjoyed this Laura Geller makeup review! Please comment below if you've tried any of these and have thoughts! Also let me know if there is another Laura Geller makeup product that you want reviewed.
*This post contains affiliate links. I may receive a small commission at no extra cost to you if you make a purchase through the links on my site. Thank you so very much for supporting my small business by shopping through my affiliate links-I am just so grateful!
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